A Throw Of The Dice
by Giacinta2
Summary: When the hell-hounds drag Dean to the pit under the terrified gaze of his little brother, the older Winchester finds Hell different to what he'd expected. And the surprises don't end there! AU from the end of season three with references to season ten. GEN.
1. Chapter 1

Shakily, Dean pulled himself up from the ground, his hands going to his chest where the hounds had just a moment ago torn his living flesh to shreds, but all he could feel was the familiar softness of worn plaid, with no tangible signs of what had just happened to his body.

"Sam, " he called out. "Sammmy!"

There was no answer, and honestly Dean hadn't expected one. After all, Sam was alive and Dean was dead. Things were as they were supposed to be.

:

He looked around, but other than the dirt road on which he was standing, he saw nothing but a thick grey mist through which the road ran like a dark ribbon.

Dean took a moment to consider his situation. He lifted a hand to touch the mist, but when he did, it felt more akin to a solid wall. It stretched along the sides of the trail as far as the eye could see.

"So, it's follow the yellow brick road then," he said, his spirits lifting a little.

Exploring the unknown was what he did, and anyway, whatever version of hell this was, for the moment, at least, he was being spared the torture the demons had promised he'd suffer.

"Emerald City, here I come!"

:

He strolled along the track towards a building he could see in the distance.

As he came within range, Dean frowned. It looked like Bobby's house, a facsimile of the familiar one in the middle of the junk yard, though this one sat in regal isolation, no old, rusty, auto carcasses to be seen, just the house nestled in the surrounding mist.

Whatever was happening, it was nothing remotely similar to what Dean had been expecting, but what did he know?

Maybe Lilith was fucking with him, giving him one last tour of Earth memories before impaling his body on a stake. He shivered at the thought, his ass clenching in empathy.

:

Aware his heart was beating like a steam engine, Dean approached the paint-encrusted front-door, hesitating, but then he shrugged.

What was the point? This was Hell, he wasn't the one in charge. He'd go along with this charade for now.

The door creaked open when he gave it a push, giving him a visual of the corridor beyond, leading into Bobby's sitting room.

Loitering on the doorstep for a moment to rally what courage he had left, Dean stepped in, making his way forward until...

:

:

"Dean. Come along. I've been waiting for you, " a droll voice called.

Fear thumped through Dean. So this was it. Lilith had been toying with him, before siccing her minions on him and getting down to the torture business.

"Are you hungry? I've plenty food here. I've heard you like your burgers with double onions and cheese, " the voice continued calmly.

What the fuck! Dean mused.

What was the evil bitch doing. Well Dean was a Winchester, and even if he was trembling in his boots, he wasn't going to give Lilith the satisfaction of seeing it.

:

In trepidation, he walked forward into the room, only to see a skeletally thin man, dressed all in black, surreptitiously licking his fingers, an array of diner food spread out before him on what looked like Bobby's desk.

"Ah, Dean. Finally. Take a seat."

Dean's gaze raked the room, but it was empty apart from the strange guy polishing off the last bite of his burger.

:

"Thanks," he said, his tone sarcastic, proud that his voice was steady. "But I'll pass. I'm anxious to get down to basics." He pointed a finger in the direction of the kitchen. "The torture chambers that way?"

:

The man wiped his fingers on a white napkin, leaving it stained with ketchup and grease.

He sighed heavily, as if he was used to dealing with the hunter. "Sit down, Dean. I only wish to talk. Torture isn't part of my agenda."

:

Dean wavered. He didn't want to sit, he didn't want to talk.

What he wanted was Sam, but that wasn't an option. He just hoped his sibling was okay. The last image he'd had of his baby brother was his distraught face gazing down at him, awash with tears.

"I said sit, Dean!"

"Fine," Dean shrugged, settling himself in the opposite chair.

"Now what? " he bitched. "Am I gonna get Hell 101?"

:

"First of all, you are not in Hell at this moment, " the being informed him.

Dean couldn't disguise the surprise. "Not in Hell?"

With a baleful stare, the man continued.

"I intercepted your soul as it pierced the veil, and brought you here."

"Here? Dean frowned, "and just where is 'here'?"

:

Once again he was treated to an intimidating stare and to tell the truth it kinda scared him. The being, though very understated, had an aura of unleashed power.

"If you stop interrupting then you will understand all the quicker why you are here."

Dean nodded. "Okay. Explain."

"It's simple, Dean, " he sighed. "You and your ridiculous compulsion to sacrifice yourself for your brother leads to many consequences, some of them...extremely...personal... to me. You going to hell starts your brother down a dark and dangerous road which leads to catastrophe. I have intercepted you to avoid the future that was fated to be."

Though Dean had said he'd be quiet, he couldn't contain himself. "You know the future? What happens to my brother? Does he go back to college? Live a life away from hunting?"

:

The being sighed once again. "You're not listening, Dean. Your brother chooses a dark path. He wants nothing more than to get you out of Hell and in so doing sets in motion the destiny which was designed for you both, leading to a conclusion I'd have preferred... not to have encountered."

"What does Sam do?" Dean asked, worried for his brother. He hadn't sold his soul for Sam just to have something bad happen to him. He'd done it so Sam could have a good, decent life.

:

"I will say no more about the future. What I will do is send your soul back to its body, destroying your contract with Lilith and thus reuniting you with your brother.

But I warn you Dean. Be very careful. There are forces in the universe which want to use you and Sam for their own ambitions.

That I am interceding at this moment in time does not mean there won't be other pitfalls for you Winchesters. If you truly care for your brother and for the fate of Earth, trust no-one, especially those who come bearing gifts or seem to want nothing more than to help out."

Dean huffed, his expression scornful. "The fate of the Earth! Sam and I are just two run-of-the-mill hunters. How can the fate of the Earth depend on us?"

:

"I would remind you to watch your manners, Dean. I don't allow anyone to show me disrespect.

Here I am doing you a great favour. Rescuing you from an eternity in the pit and sending you back to your brother, yet instead of thanking me you mock my warnings."

"Sorry, " Dean said, passing a hand thorough his hair. "It's just... I'm kinda freaked out. I was expecting hell-hounds and demons, not some old guy and diner food. And whatever your reason for interceding, I'm grateful. I didn't expect anyone except Sammy would care enough about me to save me from hell. So thanks."

"I did not do this for your sake only, " the man said gravely, inclining his head in acceptance of Dean's apology.

"As I said before, I have a personal interest in you Winchesters. But enough. It's time for you to be reunited with your brother before he does anything stupid. And once again Dean, be careful. Heed my warnings. Do not trust anyone, not even your own brother, for at times those we trust most can be the very ones who betray us."

"Who are you?" Dean asked.

But the black-dressed being merely stared at him. "Goodbye, Dean. I hope we won't meet again."

:

A second later, Dean found himself staring up at the ceiling in the room where the hell-hounds had ripped him to pieces.

"Sammy?"

He pulled himself up to meet the wide, incredulous gaze of his little brother crouched down against the opposite wall, the tears still trailing down his cheeks

"Dean!" Sam cried out pitifully at the sound of his big brother's voice, before leaping towards his sibling, gathering him in a furious, tight hug.

"Hey, it's okay, Sammy. It's okay. I'm fine."  
But Sam wasn't listening, holding onto Dean as if he'd just come back from the dead, which was exactly what had happened.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

"Dean!?" Bobby gasped as he caught sight of the two Winchesters exiting the house together, the garden sprinklers that had churned out holy water were turned off now, the demons which had been surrounding the place gone along with Lilith.

"What happened boy. I thought..."

"Yeah, me too, Bobby," Dean grinned, coming forward to hug the older hunter. "But here I am."

Bobby clapped a hand on Dean's back before releasing him.

:

He stole a rapid look at Sam standing only a few inches behind Dean as if afraid his brother was going to disappear. The kid's eyes were red, his face the colour of white ash.

"Don't get me wrong, I 'm real glad to see you, Dean, but you didn't do anythin' stupid did ya?"

:

Dean gave a light-hearted huff, just about to tell Bobby about the weird guy who'd saved his ass from Hell, but the warning he'd been given came rushing into his mind. "Don't trust anybody, even those nearest to you."

"Honestly, Bobby. I can't remember. It's as if what happened from when the hell-hounds started ripping me apart until I came to again, with Sam making google eyes at me, has been erased," he lied before turning away to smile at his brother.

Lying to Bobby didn't come easy.

Sam was looming at his back, in no way his usual self, still shaking from seeing Dean mauled to death.

:

Dean hadn't told him anything either. His brother had been too ecstatic to see him alive that he hadn't even asked the how or the why.

He knew he'd have to decide what to tell him. Sam was his brother after all, but he'd been listening in when Dean had told Bobby he couldn't remember, so for now he'd stick to that.

He needed to find out just who the guy that saved him was.

:

For his part, Sam though over the moon at having his brother back, was also mulling over what had happened with Lilith. She'd thrown a ball of energy at him and he'd remained completely unscathed.

How was that even possible? Lilith was the most powerful demon in hell. Sam should have been fried to a cinder.

:

Bobby lifted his cap and gave his scalp a scratch. "You gonna be all right, Dean? There's no danger of Lilith turning up to finish the job?"

"Na. Whatever happened, I guess it's final, otherwise I'd be on the rack right now."

He heard a hiss of misery from his brother and he clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, Sammy. I'm here. Good as new, and hungry too. All this excitement gives a guy an appetite."

:

The three men walked towards the cars, parked well out of sight of the house.

"Well, if you're sure, Dean. I think I'll take a rain check on the food. I'd rather get back home to Sioux Falls. Get the books out. See just what could have saved you from Lilith's embrace."

"Thanks, Bobby. For everything. "

Bobby nodded. "If I come up with anything, I'll get back to you:"

Sam and Dean watched until Bobby turned his truck towards the main road, then made their way to the Impala.

"Hey, Baby. You're not gonna miss me after all," Dean grinned running his hands over her body-work while Sam looked on with an affectionate smile, his pallor fading now that Dean was really here, whole and unharmed.

"What happened, Dean?" Sam asked, once they'd slid into the car, echoing Bobby's question from earlier. "You really don't remember anything?"

:

Putting the Impala into drive, Dean silently debated what to say. Sam and he were a team, they'd gone through so much together. If he couldn't trust his brother then who? The old black bat-guy be damned.

"Let me get my teeth around a burger an I'll tell you everything."

"So you lied to Bobby?" Sam said, surprised. "Why?"

"I'll explain it all in the diner," Dean said, he wanted to replay it all in his mind first.

:

"So? You ready to talk now, Sam grunted impatiently, watching as Dean demolished his burger..

"Yeah, I guess.

When the hounds .uh... killed me...instead of hell I found myself on this road, surrounded by fog. It was solid, like a wall. The only way was forward so I went, and then I saw a house. It was a copy of Bobby's"

"Bobby's," Sam frowned. "Why?"  
Dean shrugged. "Guess they wanted me to feel at home or something'."

"Then what happened?" Sam's curiosity was taking hold of him now. Just where had Dean ended up?

"I went inside and there was this old guy dressed in black, sitting at what looked like Bobby's desk chewing down on a burger."

Sam's eyes widened. "A burger? What the fuck?"

"He even offered to share. As if he knew I liked them. It was weird Sammy. He said that me going to Hell sets off a series of events which lead to catastrophes for us and for Earth. That we were important players in some big destiny thing."

:

Sam leaned back in his chair, lost for words.

What Dean had told him made no sense. Okay, Sam had demon blood in him, a fact he hadn't even shared with Dean yet, he mused with guilt, and he'd suffered from death visions, but that had ended with Azazel.

And as for Dean, he wasn't a freak like Sam was, so it was even less likely that his big brother would be part of some cosmic super-plan.

"What else?" he asked.

"I'd never met the guy before, of that I'm sure, but he definitely seemed to know me. Then he said he hoped he'd never see me again and I found myself back in my body. Oh yeah, he did mention something about it being personal too."

"Huh. Weirder and weirder, " Sam commented. "So, this guy, you've never seen before saved your ass from Hell, because it's in his favour too."

"I guess," Dean agreed.

"You said he was dressed in black?"

"Yeah, now that you mention it. He was kinda like a reaper."

"That fits," Sam nodded. "He grabbed your soul as soon as it passed into the veil. But the question still remains about why he helped you. We know Lilith's the most powerful demon, even more than Azazel, so the reaper, if it was one, has got to be even more powerful than her. But you haven't explained why you lied to Bobby."

:

Dean shrugged. "Blackie said to be careful. Not to trust anyone, not even those nearest and dearest, and especially those who present themselves saying they want to help."

"You don't trust Bobby?" Sam asked, raising an eyebrow. "He put his life on the line for us."

"I know, Sam. Okay. I just … needed time to think things over. I'll tell him eventually."  
"Were you gonna keep this from me too?

"Na, we're a team, Sammy. If I can't tell my pain in the ass little brother, then who can I trust?"

However the part about Sam taking a dark path, Dean kept for himself. Now that he'd avoided Hell, it shouldn't come to pass. But he'd be even more attentive in looking out for his baby brother.

:

Sam squirmed. He hadn't trusted Dean with his own secret. Maybe it was time he did.

"Uh.. Dean. There's something I've been meaning to tell you. I should've before but I didn't want you to think me more of a freak than I already was."

Looking his baby brother right in the eyes, Dean said pissed. "You are **not** and never will be a freak to me, Sammy. I don't care if you grow two wings and a tail. You're my baby brother, no matter what."

Sam was glad they were in a public place for if they'd been in the Impala he'd have broken into tears at his brother's words.

"I've got demon blood in me, Dean, " he whispered embarrassed. "The night Azazel came to the nursery, he bled into my mouth. I AM a freak, Dean. How can you even bear to look at me? You were going to hell for a demon-blood monster."

:

Dean's expression didn't change.

"Maybe you've not been listening, Sam. I just told you there's nothing you could tell me so horrible that I'd consider you a freak. You were a baby, man. Anything that was done to you, is on them, not on you. I **am** pissed at you, but only because you've kept it hidden from me.

How do you know this anyway?"

"Azazel told me when I was in Cold Oak. He showed me a replay of what happened that night. I saw him bleed into my mouth and I saw mom, saw her burn on the ceiling."

"Anything else you wanna share," Dean said pissed for real now. Sam should have trusted him with this.

"I'm sorry, Dean," Sam said shamefaced. "I was afraid you'd walk away, when you knew I was no better than what we hunt."

"Listen, Sam. We're all we've got. Just you and me. We've gotta be open with each other, trust each other, 'cos if the reaper was right, things are gonna come for us. I don't know what, or when, but we've got to present a united front. You got that little brother?"

:

Sam nodded, sighing deeply. "There's more, Dean. Back there when the hounds tore you to pieces, Lilith tried to fry me, but her power bounced off me as if I was immune."

Dean squeezed his eyes together. They were just two boys from Kansas. Why had their lives become so fucking complicated.

When he opened them, Sam was staring at him, his gaze fearful, as if the last titbit he'd revealed to Dean about Lilith would be the final straw, and Dean would really stalk off and leave him.

:

"Don't look at me like that, Sam. I'm not going anywhere, " he declared firmly. "Someone's been fucking with our family and they deserve payback. And that's what you and I are going to deliver.

So every time the words freak or monster pass your lips, dude. I'm gonna clonk you one. You're none of those things. The only thing you are is my little brother, warts and all."

The smile that graced Sam's lips warmed Dean's heart. He and Sam could do this. Whatever was to come, they'd be ready.

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Thank you to Thiltelles, Dragonsrule 18, babyreaper, ellie reynolds.777 and arwenadreamer for their sweet reviews.


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